'Splatoon 2' gameplay features update: Adds new Clam Blitz mode

"Splatoon 2" gets a massive update to be delivered on three separate dates. (Official promotional photo) Nintendo

"Splatoon 2" gets a huge update, 2.1.0, which adds a new Ranked Battle mode called Clam Blitz.

In Clam Blitz, the player's goal is to throw as many golden clams as possible to the others side's baskets. The problem is these are protected by a barrier that must first be taken down. To do that, players would have to collect 10 golden clams to form a football-shaped Power Clam, the only one strong enough to break the barrier.

Throw the Power Clam to the barrier, take it down, then throw more standard clams into the other team's baskets. Throwing a Power Clam is worth 20 points, while a normal clam is worth three points each. If no clam is thrown for a certain period of time, the barrier starts self-repairing, and when the timer hits zero, a Power Clam must be thrown again.

The goal is to collect 100 points for the team.

To assist players in gameplay, Kotaku says pop-up icons appear for every important happening. When someone successfully makes a Power Clam, an icon indicates where that is, so the player could either attack if it is from the other team, or protect if it is from a teammate.

An icon will also inform players if the opposing team's barrier has been broken, while a note will remind them to attack by throwing clams.

Nintendo has released a gameplay video for a more visual explanation.

Clam Blitz is highly reliant on teamwork. Reviews say the game can be chaotic, and the multi-players should be extremely coordinated to protect each other's baskets while finding clams and breaking the other team's barrier.

Apart from Clam Blitz, the 2.1.0 update tweaked a set of weapons and fixed certain bugs.

"Splatoon 2" is a team-based third-person shooter video game exclusively released for Nintendo Switch in July 2017. It is among GameSpot's five best Switch games of the year.

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